Complete List of Volleyball Terms | Defense | Hitting Terms Mintonette: The original name given to the game we now call Volleyball. Nectar: A perfect and sweet set. Paintbrush: When a hitter swings but then barely touches the bottom of the ball, dropping it over the opposing blocker. Lollipop: A lollipop is an easy serve that flies high into the sky and over the net. It is not the most sophisticated serve. Volleyball Lingo: "That's a Lollipop!" Chester: When a player is hit hard in the chest by a serve or spike. Ouch! Swipe or Wipe: When a ball is pushed off an opposing block by a hitter and lands out of bounds Coach Kill: When an opponent serves the ball into the net or out of the court just after there was a substitution or a time out. Deep Dish: A very soft set where the ball rests in a players hands for a bit too long. Pepper: A drill where two players partner to warm up by passing, setting and hitting the ball back and forth. Rainbow: A soft shot over the blockers with an arc that resembles a rainbow.

Six Pack: Sometimes known as facial, this term is used when a blocker gets hit in the head or the face by a spiked ball. Some Common Volleyball Terms: Bump: When the ball hits the forearms and is passed on. Spike: A ball hit with force by an offensive player trying to hit so that the defense cannot recover the ball. Dig: When a player passes a strongly spiked ball that is close to the floor. Ace: An outstanding serve which is not passable by the opposing team and results in a point for the serving team. Kill: An attack that earns the offensive team an immediate point. Block: When one, two or three players jump in front of the opposing spiker with their arms raised to prevent the ball from coming over to their side of the court. Volleyball Lingo: "Kong Block" Assist: This is when a player sets up a teammate with a pass, set or dig so that the teammate can spike the ball and earn a point for the team. Free Ball: An easy ball for the opposing team to play. Joust: When two players from opposite teams meet above the net to contact the ball.

Line Shot: A ball that is spiked right down the opposing team's sideline.,/ Shank: A bad pass that flies into the audience or anywhere that it is not supposed to. Side-Out: When the receiving team earns the right to serve after winning a rally. Strong Side: When a left handed hitter is hitting from the right front position or when a right handed hitter is hitting from the left front position. Cut Shot: When a ball travels at a very sharp angle across the net from a spike at the hitter's strong side. Dink: A push of the ball around or over the blocker. This is totally legal. Volleyball Lingo: "Have the been overlapping?" Overlap: This term refers to the positions of the players before contact with the ball while serving. Forearm Pass: When a player bumps the ball with the fleshy part of their forearms. Key: To predict a team's next play by watching how they have played so far. Overhand Pass: A pass that is controlled by the fingers and thumbs with both hands open taking place just above the forehead. Doubles: A game with four players involved, two on each side. We see this mostly played outdoors, on the sand or grass.

Rotation: The movement of the players clockwise around the court and through the serving position. Tagged: A player gets tagged when they cannot move fast enough out of the way of a hard hit ball. Volleyball Lingo: "Tagged, Facial or Six Pack" Approach: A fast run toward the net before he jumps into the air to spike the ball. Beach Dig: Also called a "deep dish" this is when the ball is received with open hands. Dump: When an opponent uses a soft hit by the net instead of a spike so as to throw off the other team. Power Alley: A cross court spike that reaches the farthest end of the court. To read more common volleyball terms - or more terms in hitting and defense, check the other sections below. Volleyball Terms Related Pages The Game The Game - Volleyball About the sport Volleyball is a complex game of simple skills. The ball is spiked from up to 60 cm above the height of a basketball hoop (about 3.65 metres) and takes fractions of a second to travel from the spiker to the receiver. That means the receiver must assess incoming angle, decide where to pass the ball and then control their pass in the blink of an eye.

A purely rebound sport (you can't hold the ball), Volleyball is a game of constant motion. A team can touch the ball three times on its side of the net. The usual pattern is a dig (an underarm pass made with the forearms), a set (an overhead pass made with the hands) and a spike (the overhead attacking shot). The ball is served into play. Teams can also try to block the opponent's spike as it crosses the net. A block into your own court counts as one of your three touches in Beach Volleyball, but not in Volleyball. Power and height have become vital components of international teams, but the ability of teams and coaches to devise new strategies, tactics and skills has been crucial for continued success. There are six players on court in a Volleyball team, who each must rotate one position clockwise every time their team wins back service from the opposition. Only the three players at the net positions can jump and spike or block near the net. The backcourt players can only hit the ball over the net if they jump from behind the attack line, also known as the three-metre line, which separates the front and back part of the court. Volleyball has developed into a very specialised sport.

Most teams will include in their starting line-up a setter, two centre blockers, two receiver-hitters and a universal spiker. Only certain players will be involved with service reception. Players will also have specialist positions for attack and defence. Substitutions are allowed during the game. From 1998, Volleyball used a new scoring system. Teams scored a point on every rally (rally point system), regardless of which team served. Formerly, a team could only win a point if it served the ball. Winning the serve back from the opposition was known as a side-out. Matches are played best of five sets. The first four sets are played to 25 points, with the final set being played to 15 points. A team must win a set by two points. There is no ceiling, so a set continues until one of the teams gains a two-point advantage. Previously, all sets were to 15 points, with the first four sets having a ceiling of 17 and the final set requiring at least a two-point winning advantage. From 1996, the FIVB introduced a new specialist role: the libero.

This player wears a different coloured uniform from the rest of the team and can be substituted in backcourt for any player on the team. The libero cannot serve, spike the ball over the net or rotate into the front-line positions, but plays a vital role for the team in serve reception and backcourt defence. There must be at least one point played between a libero substituting off for a player and going back on the court for another player – hence he/she cannot be on the court for the whole game. The libero has added an extra dimension to backcourt defence, improving the reception of teams, lengthening the rallies and giving a vital role to shorter players. Service A serve begins each rally. A player must hit the ball with his or her hand over the net to land inside the lines of the court. Players may serve underarm or overarm (hardly anyone at elite level would offer an underarm serve). A popular serve is the "jump" or "spike" serve: the player jumps and serves the ball while airborne. Each player gets only one chance to serve. The serve can touch the net and continue into the opponent's court.

Before this rule was introduced, a net touch on service ended the rally and the point was awarded to the receiving team. When the serving team loses a rally, it loses the right to serve. The receiving team then rotates one position on the court. Dig The "dig" is a forearm pass that is used to control the ball and pass it to the setter at the net. It is usually the first contact by the team and an effective shot to use in defence, such as when receiving a spike. The "libero" handles much of the team's serve reception and is pivotal in backcourt defence. Set The "set" is an overhead pass used to change the direction of the dig and put the ball in a good position for the spiker. It is usually the team's second contact. Setting is the tactical centre of Volleyball. A setter must be good enough to keep the big blockers from dominating the net. The setter must feed his or her best hitters while also looking for opponent's blocking weaknesses (such as a short player on the front line or a slow centre blocker). Spike The "spike" is when the ball is hit or smashed across the net.

It is the most powerful shot in Volleyball – and the most effective way to win a rally. Block This is the first line of defence in Volleyball. The objective of the "block" is to stop the spiked ball from crossing the net or to channel the spike to defenders. The three front-court players share blocking. Teams usually opt for a "read and react" block (whereby they try to react to the ball leaving the setter's hands) or for a "commit" block (whereby they decide before the point whether to jump on the quick middle balls). The key to good blocking is penetration – the best blockers reach well over the net and into the opponent's court rather than reaching straight up, when the block can be easily penetrated by quality hitters. The Ball After testing many colours, the FIVB introduced a ball with yellow, blue and white panels at the World Championships in Japan in 1998. It replaced the traditional all-white ball. The Rally Point System In 1998 the FIVB also tried some different scoring systems. At its World Congress in October 1998, the FIVB ratified the "rally point system." Every rally would now earn a point.

The first four sets are played to 25, but the winning team must be ahead by at least two points. The fifth set is played to 15 – and again the winner must have a two-point margin. The system was designed to make the scoring system easier to follow and games faster and more exciting. The Libero The FIVB introduced a new specialised defensive player, the "libero," in 1996. The libero can perform only as a backcourt player and may not play an attacking shot (when the ball is hit back across the net), serve or block. If the libero makes an overhead set of the ball in front of the 3-metre attack line, the ball may not be spiked over by the team. If the libero makes the same action behind the front zone, the ball may be freely attacked. The libero must wear a jersey with a different colour or design than those of other team members. Rotation Each of the six players on an indoor team rotates a position after winning back service from the opponent. This is the key to the tactics of indoor Volleyball – you cannot simply keep your best blockers and spikers at the net or your best defenders in backcourt.

After serving from position one, players rotate to position six (middle back), then position five (left back), position four (left front), position three (middle front) and position two (right front) before returning to serve. A team must be in correct rotation order before the serve is put into play. Once the ball is served, the players can move positions but backcourt players cannot move to the net to block or spike. They must make all attacking actions from behind the attack line (hence the advent of the backcourt attack to have great spikers participating in all six rotations). The rotation rule explains why a setter often appears to be "hiding" behind his or her players before a point. The setter must be in proper rotation order before sprinting to the net or a point is given to the opposition. FIVB - Volleyball Volleyball Here is your source to learn more on the different positions and rules of volleyball. Service A serve begins each rally. A player must hit the ball with his or her hand over the net to land inside the lines of the court. Players may serve underarm or overarm (hardly anyone at elite level would offer an underarm serve).

A popular serve is the "jump" or "spike" serve: the player jumps and serves the ball while airborne. Each player gets only one chance to serve. The serve can touch the net and continue into the opponent's court. Before this rule was introduced, a net touch on service ended the rally and the point was awarded to the receiving team. When the serving team loses a rally, it loses the right to serve. The receiving team then rotates one position on the court. Dig The "dig" is a forearm pass that is used to control the ball and pass it to the setter at the net. It is usually the first contact by the team and an effective shot to use in defence, such as when receiving a spike. The "libero" handles much of the team's serve reception and is pivotal in backcourt defence. Set The "set" is an overhead pass used to change the direction of the dig and put the ball in a good position for the spiker. It is usually the team's second contact. Setting is the tactical centre of Volleyball. A setter must be good enough to keep the big blockers from dominating the net.

The setter must feed his or her best hitters while also looking for opponent's blocking weaknesses (such as a short player on the front line or a slow centre blocker). Spike The "spike" is when the ball is hit or smashed across the net. It is the most powerful shot in volleyball – and the most effective way to win a rally. Block This is the first line of defence in Volleyball. The objective of the "block" is to stop the spiked ball from crossing the net or to channel the spike to defenders. The three front-court players share blocking. Teams usually opt for a "read and react" block (whereby they try to react to the ball leaving the setter's hands) or for a "commit" block (whereby they decide before the point whether to jump on the quick middle balls). The key to good blocking is penetration – the best blockers reach well over the net and into the opponent's court rather than reaching straight up, when the block can be easily penetrated by quality hitters. The Ball After testing many colours, the FIVB introduced a ball with yellow, blue and white panels at the World Championships in Japan in 1998. It replaced the traditional all-white ball.

The Rally Point System In 1998 the FIVB also tried some different scoring systems. At its World Congress in October 1998, the FIVB ratified the "rally point system." Every rally would now earn a point. The first four sets are played to 25, but the winning team must be ahead by at least two points. The fifth set is played to 15 – and again the winner must have a two-point margin. The system was designed to make the scoring system easier to follow and games faster and more exciting. The Libero The FIVB introduced a new specialised defensive player, the "libero", in 1996. The libero can perform only as a backcourt player and may not play an attacking shot (when the ball is hit back across the net), serve or block. If the libero makes an overhead set of the ball in front of the 3-metre attack line, the ball may not be spiked over by the team. If the libero makes the same action behind the front zone, the ball may be freely attacked. The libero must wear a jersey with a different colour or design than those of other team members.

Volleyball Spike Volleyball Spike Motor Learning Principles Abby Evans Motor learning, a definite change in performance resulting from practice and experience, is needed to see the best results in a volleyball spike. Learning how to perform a skill is the ultimate goal for success. Being skilled is the ability to reach a goal with high amounts of certainty. So when determining if the volleyball spike is indeed a skill and not just a lucky hit, some characteristics should be met. Reaching a goal, using the body to do task, voluntary movements, practicing to improve certainty, minimizing energy cost, and achieving in little time are the characteristics to determining a skill. The volleyball spike is one fluid motion that does not need to be broken up. If you can approach the ball, with good timing, little thought, and precise contact then the skill has been mastered. ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ The volleyball spike is a gross, open, and continuous skill. The skill uses a lot of large muscles when running and jumping into the spike. It is also an open skill, with unstable environments, a lot of thought and environmental changes.

A spike usually follows a set that can alter every single possession. You need to be on your toes and ready for every possible situation, like a short set, long set, tight set, etc. Being a continuous skill, just means that there is no particular beginning or ending. The swing can start anywhere out in front of the body and end anywhere across or back behind the body. All of the classifications are put together to make this skill complete. There are three stages in information processing; stimulus identification, response selection, and response programming. The volleyball spike uses stimulus identification mainly for sight. Simply seeing where the ball is in the air and where the blockers are standing helps a hitter. The response selection is what you decide to do with your hit. For example, deciding to hit a line drive or a tip depending on the blockers. The last stage, response programming, is how the skill is going to be done. Once the decision is made the player as to decide what approach to take to see the best result. ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Reaction time plays a big role in the spike.

Being able to time the ball leaving the setters hands and starting the approach are factors in the hit itself. The spike would be considered a choice reaction time, because one of several stimuli and one of several responses are available. Factors that affect reaction time are number of stimulus-response alternatives, stimulus-response compatibility, practice, and anticipation. The set, stimuli, can be in many different areas at many different heights, so determining which response to use slows down reaction time. If the hitter chooses a particular approach for the stimuli, and guesses right than reaction time will be quicker, if they guess wrong then reaction time will be slowed. Practice between the hitter and setter can also improve reaction time, if they learn to get a feel for each other. Anticipation can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the decision. Spatial anticipations would be trying to decide what the set is going to be and temporal anticipations is deciding when the ball is going to be at its peak for perfect contact. ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Since volleyball is a competitive sport, arousal and anxiety levels can increase altering performance.

The Inverted-U-Principle, the relationship between arousal levels and performance, shows that an increase in arousal will increase performance. But too much arousal can be found to have a negative affect on performance. A volleyball game can be an intense atmosphere. If a player knows that he/she must get this hit over the net and in play to win the game a lot of pressure is put on them. Some players do not perform well under circumstances like this, so arousal can cause them to miss the ball or hit it into the net. ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Volleyball can be affected by attention and the factors that come along with it. If coaches practice players to much without a break they become irritated and distracted, thus losing concentration and lowering performance. Simplicity vs. complexity also affects attention. If the skill is difficult then attention demands are greater. As more sets and hits are added into the rotation then the complexity rises. The environment can also affect attention. During beach volleyball sun, rain, sand, etc. can all become problems for the players. Variety and emphasis on specific skills keeps players challenged and attentive.

ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ With practice and time the volleyball spike can become a natural process. When a player can approach the ball automatically without thought then movement and timing will be right. Automatic processing is involuntary with little attention to the skill. The Psychological Refractory Period is the delay in a person’s reaction time to the second stimuli presented. If the hitter only has to worry about making contact with the ball, it is easy for them to focus and be successful. But when blockers come into play more stimuli is presented thus altering reaction time and affecting the outcome. ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Memory is for not only hitters but for all players on the volleyball team. Short term memory is where the information goes first. Hitters need to practice the approach and swing over and over to get the timing just right. Enough practice and the information moves from short term to long term memory making it easier because it is less conscious.

If a player can store information based on what the other team is doing wrong they can make improvements. If a hitter remembers from the hit before that the setter isn’t playing the sideline then a line drive should be hit again. Remembering weaknesses will help the team. ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ A volleyball spike is considered an open-loop system, because feedback can not be giving back until after the approach. Once the decision is made to approach the ball from the 3 foot line, feedback can not be given until the next possession.ï¿½ Unlike if it was a closed-loop and feedback could be given during the skill to improve accuracy. Feedback can be carried over from each hit but it will take practice and time to relate to your setter and avoid blockers. ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Improving accuracy and speed in the spike can be rewarding and detrimental. The relationship between accuracy and speed states that the faster a skill someone tries to do something the less accurate it is.

If a hitter tries to swing extremely fast to get a harder hit, more likely they will hit into the net because form is being changed. ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ When beginners start to learn volleyball, people need to be aware of the general motor ability vs. specificity theory. The general motor ability also referred to as “natural athlete”, is the ability and skill of a player in many different sports. Some students may be naturally athletic will a high vertical jump, a lot of upper strength, and agility. While some fall in the specificity theory, independent motor skills. These players only exude qualities in specific areas. Lots of hand-eye coordination and agility are used in the spike. Being able to see the ball and blockers at the same time may be difficult for someone who exemplifies specific skills. Typically someone who is good in endurance athletics can exceed in volleyball because a lot of techniques can be transferred from one to the other.

ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ When teaching a skill it is important that students are standing where they can see the teacher. Making sure everyone is paying attention is a key to seeing that everyone understands what is going on. It is also an important implication that teachers be in the right stance where the skill is going to be used. So a hitter needs to be standing at the 3 foot line ready for the approach to the net. If the teacher is not standing where they need to be then beginners may not know where exactly to stand on the court either. To avoid students and players from getting distracted make sure there are plenty of volleyballs available for every student to have at least one, to avoid long lines and lots of standing. ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ When setting a goal it should be challenging, realistic, and measurable to make it attainable. There are three types of goals, outcome, performance, and process. First you need an outcome goal what you want to achieve.

A volleyball team wants to win state. Second is the performance goal, how self improvement will help achieve the goals. A hitter wants to improve her hitting percentage from 55% to 65% over the year. Last is the process goal, how the performance is actually done. Player will see the ball leaving the setters hands, make contact with the ball at its highest point, and follow through across the body.ï¿½ This how a goal should be set and executed. ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Transfer can be used in volleyball to help new learners understand the steps and motion. Inter-transfer is the transfer among different sports with similar skills. For example the swing in a volleyball spike is similar to the serve in tennis. If players know how to serve a tennis ball then they can transfer that motion over to volleyball. The vertical jump is also incorporated in the spike. Beginning the approach a few steps back from the net allows the players to gain power by taking a few steps, staying low, and exploding up. Some intra-transfer, same skill within the sport, is also used in the spike.

A player hitting a spike against a wall and then moving it onto the court is an example of intra. ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Volleyball spike is a continuous skill so whole practice is recommended. Whole practice is when parts depend on the performance of the previous part. However, some part practice can be used to help master the whole motion. First players can practice just on the approach; one, two, jump. Next players can worry on spiking the ball down against the wall. Then lastly, they can move to the net and work on putting timing of both together. When practicing the swing, breaking it up is not recommended because it is just one motion. For beginners blocked practice would be better to allow them to work merely on the spike. Hitting spikes over and over and over will help beginner’s performance but may not help with learning. Once players become skilled than random practice is recommended because all aspects of the game can be practiced. Bump, set, spike, block can all be incorporated into one drill making more time out of practice to work on every aspect.

ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Feedback is knowledge and information that performers gain from movements. Volleyball hitters can use intrinsic feedback, internal, after every hit they make. A hitter can feel how they hit the ball and what they need to change either about their jump or the contact. They can also see if they ball was inbounds or out-of-bounds and decide what they need to do for the next hit. External sources can also be used in volleyball. A coach telling a player that they need to start their approach farther back to get the best hit is an example of augmented feedback. Average feedback is an average of what you are doing with all of the trials. This allows the player to do a lot of reps and find out what needs to be fixed. ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Volleyball is a game that everyone can enjoy and be good at. It takes practice, patience and motivation.

The spike is one of the best skills in the game because if you can master it and be a threat you can be a successful player. It can build confidence and attitude for the player and the team. Volleyball is also a good sport to play in physical education classes with large groups of students. Everyone can practice hitting the ball and spiking, making it a fun environment at all. During class if people are struggling to get it over the net then teachers can improvise by lowering the net making it even more enjoyable for everyone. ï¿½ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½ ï¿½ Volleyball Terms All Volleyball Players Should Know A kill is when a team spikes the ball and it is successfully put away. Six Pack A six pack occurs when a defensive player gets hit in the head or face by a spiked ball. Also called a facial. Paint Brush When the hitter swings and barely "brushes" the bottom of the ball. The ball often drops over the blockers for a kill. Tool Deliberately hitting the ball off the block for a kill. This is also called using the block or a wipe.

Youth Player Terms When a player jumps above the net to block, and blocks the ball straight down. Lollipop A lollipop is a very easy serve. This serve is often done with a high arc which is easy to pass. When you serve a lollipop you will probably get licked. Redwood A redwood is a tall awkward blocker. Redwoods arent very mobile. Chester To be nailed in the chest by a hard serve or spike. Tagged A player gets tagged when they cant get out of the way of a hard hit ball. Swipe or Wipe When a hitter pushes the ball off of the opposing block so it lands out of bounds. Also called tooling the block. Kong Block A one-handed block like the move King Kong does on the biplanes in the original King Kong movie. Tuna A tuna is when a player commits a very obvious net violation. Also called a flounder. Chowder A really bad double contact on a hand set is often called chowder. Phrases by Youth Players A player who spikes the ball as hard as possible no matter what. Sizzle the Pits Hard spike that travels under the blocker's raised arms just past their arm pits.

Bringing the Heat A particularly hard spike. Here Comes the Heater The opponent may call out Here comes the heater when a server that is known for serving really hard jump serves is going back to serve. Volleyball Terms Related Pages How to Block Volleyball (with Pictures) - wikiHow Getting into the Ready Position 1 Be ready at all times. Timing is one of the most important aspects in blocking; a fraction of a second could be the difference between stuffing an opponent’s attack and missing the ball completely. Being in the ready position will allow you to move more efficiently when attempting a block. [1] 2 Stand with your feet shoulder-length apart square to the net. Keeping your feet the proper distance apart will help with your footwork, another essential aspect of blocking. With your shoulders and hips square to the net you will be able to jump straight up more quickly. 3 Keep your knees bent. Keeping your knees bent is an essential part of the ready position. By keeping your knees bent you are ready to jump immediately rather than having to lower yourself and then jump up for the block. Be careful not to get lazy and stand straight up while waiting to block. 4 Keep your arms high.

Keep your arms high with your elbows around shoulder height. This also reduces the time it takes to get your arms up for the block. If they begin by your sides then they have much farther to travel to get high in the air. 5 Keep your palms facing the net. This puts them at the correct angle for blocking and again reduces the time needed to get your hands in position, making you a faster blocker. 6 Stay a half arm’s length away from the net. If you touch the net while attempting to block you will get a violation. Allow sufficient space between your body and the net to ensure you do not accidentally touch it. Part 2 Using Proper Technique 1 Learn proper timing. Watch the ball before it reaches the setter and then watch the setter. After watching the setter follow the ball and watch the hitter. Watching the entire sequence rather than just the hitter or the ball will help you prepare the best block. Watch the setter for a number of clues. If the pass to the setter is in a particular position or angle then it might limit the setter’s options for the set. You can also watch where the setter’s shoulders are angled or where he/she is looking to see where they plan to set the ball.

Watch the ball right after the set to help you strategize your block. If the ball is far from the net after the set then the hitter probably cannot hit straight down and will take longer to get into position. You will need to delay your jump slightly and reach high to block the shot. If the set is close to the net then you should get maximum penetration on your block attempt. If the set is very low then you will need to be quicker to jump for the block because they will hit the ball quicker. Watch the hitter for different clues. Watch his angle of approach to see where you should line up when getting ready to block. If the hitter’s shoulders and upper body rotate then they may be preparing to hit across their body. If their shoulder or elbow drops then they may be preparing for a shot. Jump right when the hitter is making contact with the ball. You may have to adjust a little depending on the ball position and particular hitter. 2 Communicate with your teammates. Most teams will designate one person (usually the middle blocker) as the blocking captain to aid in communication regarding blocking. They will coordinate the other blockers to prepare the best blocking strategy.

It is important to watch the hitters and the setter as these are the people to whom your defense will need to react when attempting to block. It is helpful for the blockers to call out the setter location and who the hitters are before the serve to prepare your team for defense. 3 Use proper footwork. It is important to move quickly on your feet in order to get your body in front of the hitter’s hitting shoulder to make the block. There are two footwork patterns that can be used to quickly get to the correct position: the sidestep and the crossover step. The sidestep is used when the hitter is within 3–5 feet (0.91–1.5 m) of you. Take one step with the foot closest to the hitter and then follow with the other foot so they are shoulder-width apart once again. Keep your hips and shoulders square to the net as you sidestep. If it takes you more than two steps to reach the hitter then you should rather use the crossover step. The crossover step is used when you need to cover more ground, for example if the hitter is more than 5 feet (1.5 m) (1.5m) away from you.

Step first with the leg closest to the hitter and then cross the other leg in front of your body. Although your hips may angle towards the hitter during the cross step, your shoulders should remain square to the net. Step again with the foot closest to the hitter to bring your feet back to shoulder-width apart and make your hips square to the net once more. 4 Jump straight up. Get yourself directly in front of the hitter shoulder of the hitter and jump straight up to attempt a block. Make sure you are balanced before jumping and jump at the same time as the hitter makes contact with the ball. 5 Angle your hands inwards as if you are grabbing the ball. Your hands should be close together (about 4-6 inches or 10-15cm between them) and angled inwards while blocking. This will direct the block back down into the opponents’ court and reduce the chances of deflection away from your other defenders. Keeping your hands together prevents the ball from going in between them. You do not want your hands to form a flat surface or else the ball can deflect in many different directions off of them.

If you are close to the edge of the court, angle your outside arm and hand inwards so that if you deflect a shot it will go into the court rather than outside the lines. If you are a shorter player and cannot penetrate to the other side or cannot penetrate for another reason, keep your hands angled backwards. This is attempting to slow down the ball through touches for your defenders rather than block it. [2] 6 Keep your fingers spread wide and relaxed but straight. Keeping them spread out makes a bigger surface area for the ball to touch and makes your fingers slightly softer so major deflections don’t occur. Big deflections might make it difficult for your other defenders to get to the ball. Keeping your fingers tight, flexed and rigid will make it impossible to direct the ball. Often times the ball will bounce outside the court even if it is blocked. You want them to be straight and strong without being overly rigid. 7 Keep your wrists rigid. You will need to keep your wrists rigid to work against a hard spike. Be careful about your wrists as they can become sore or injured if you do not keep them rigid. 8 Position your arms at an angle over the net. Arms should be straight and go over the net as far as possible.

This will get you closer to the ball. Even though you lose a little bit of height with this technique, it is more important to penetrate to the other side of the court than to have additional height. This way the ball will deflect back into the opponents court rather than in another direction. Make sure when you do this that you do not thrust your hips forward. Rather your upper body should be angled forward with your abs tight to pull your upper body towards the hitter. If you are a smaller blocker you should rather keep your arms straight up with your fingers angled slightly backwards. This also works if you are late and cannot penetrate to the other side. Part 3 Training for Blocking 1 Work on your jumping skills. Height, arm length and jumping ability can greatly help one to block in volleyball. You cannot change your height but you can train your jumping ability, for example by doing squats, calf rises or strength training. Train yourself to jump at your maximum height to enhance your jumping ability. 2 Practice your footwork. Quick feet are an essential aspect of any blocker. Plays can happen very fast and include decoys to distract you. Practice your sidestep and crossover step. The sidestep is used when the hitter is close.

Take one step with the foot closest to the hitter and then follow with the other foot so they are shoulder-width apart once again. Keep your hips and shoulders square to the net as you sidestep. Practice this step sideways back and forth in front of the net, keeping your feet as light and fast as possible. The crossover step is used when you need to cover more ground. Step first with the leg closest to the hitter and then cross the other leg in front of your body. Although your hips may angle towards the hitter during the cross step, your shoulders should remain square to the net. Step again with the foot closest to the hitter to bring your feet back to shoulder-width apart and make your hips square to the net once more. Practice this step sideways back and forth in front of the net, keeping your feet as light and fast as possible. 3 Practice hand and arm position drills. Have an assistant hold the ball up on the opposite side of the net. Jump and catch the ball and bring it back to your side. Your hands and arms should be bent over the net but not touching the net. This practices proper hand and arm position for the block. . The ball should be as far as possible on the other side to help you train your skills.

You should never keep your arms straight up when blocking but rather bend them slightly forward over the net. This exercise will mimic proper technique when blocking. The hands should be next to each other when grabbing the ball, which is proper technique when blocking. To advance the training the assistant should move the ball to the right and left to help you practice blocking different kind of shots such as angle shots and line shots. Community Q&A What are some ways to train and improve your jump? wikiHow Contributor Build strength in your legs and core to improve your jump, and practice launching yourself up as high as you can from the ground. How do you dive for a volleyball? wikiHow Contributor Looking carefully at the ball, keep your arms straight out and dive, trying to land on your knees and stomach. Then slide with arms together and extended towards where you think the ball will land. Then get back into position as quickly as you can. How should I angle my hands if I want to fully stop the ball and hit it back down to the other side rather than deflect it? wikiHow Contributor Angle them towards the court. Those shots are easier to stop, though, so you might not want to do that.

If this question (or a similar one) is answered twice in this section, please click here to let us know. Tips Always keep your hands rigid and big and do strength training in order to get a more explosive and higher jump. Outside hitters always want to block with their inside hand and cover with their outside hand whereas middle blockers want to block with their outside hand and cover with their inside hand (unless of course they are taking the middle block on their own). Although physical skills can assist blockers, the mental aspect of blocking is incredibly important. Being able to watch and time your jumps properly is the crucial factor in blocking success. No matter how great of a blocker you are, there will always be some hitters that you just can’t block easily. Don’t get discouraged and keep practicing and improving your skills. Warnings Be careful not to touch the net when blocking. If the referee sees you touch the net he'll give the point to the opposing team. Always jump with two feet and land with two feet so that you don't injure yourself and to prevent drifting while in the air.

Question: Which sport uses the terms 'Set', 'Spike' and 'Block'?
Answer: VOLLEYBALL